Method of making valves



7 r 4 A 9 5 H HYDROGEN FURNACE I BRAZE Jan. 2, 1951 c; H. CRAWLEY 2,536,727

METHOD OF MAKING VALVES Filed Oct. 11., 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l HYDROGEN FURNACE BRAZE 6/ INVENTOR. 1 UHARLES HCRAMZ'Y Mwm' ATTORNEYS Jan- 2, 1951 c. H. CRAWLEY 2,535,727

METHOD OF MAKING VALVES Filed octi 11, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L VIR SOLDER WHEN A555 MBLE D INVEN TOR. (f/A ELL 5 H CRAWZZY' ATTORNE Y5 Patented Jan. 2,

METHOD OF MAKING VALVES Charles H. Crawley, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Weatherhead Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,749

This invention relates to valves, more particularly to avdouble-seat refrigerator valve assembly and a method of making the same.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a multi-part valve body which includes a pair of valve seats, the parts being secured to each other by bonding processes involving the application of heat. These processes are carried out so as to soften the valve seat portions of the assembly relative to the valve stem part that engages them.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a valve and method of making the same in accordance with the preceding object which per: mits the valve seat and the stem part that engages them to be made of the same material, preferably relatively inexpensive, easily machined ferrous screw stock.

Another object of an embodiment of my invention lies in the provision of a multiseat valve in which the body and one seat are of ferrous metal and the stem and another seat of brass, the stem being harder than either seat.

Another object is to provide a valve and method of making the same wherein a fluid-tight bond between the parts is obtained without danger of the bonding material flowing into the threads that support the valve stem when the valve assembly is finally completed.

Other objects and advantages relating to simplicity of construction and economy of manufacture will appear in the following specification and the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my complete assembled valve structure;

Fig. 2 shows the first brazing operation;

1 Claim. (Cl. 29 157.1)

Fig. 3 shows the tapping operation to chase I the threads after the brazing operation; and

Fig. 4 shows the valve stem assembled in the body after the threads are chased just prior to the final silver soldering operation.

' The valve of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in refrigerating systems "wherein a pair of sequentially engaged valve seats is provided for engagement by an enlarged valve stem portion. In order to form a rugged and economical valve, it is desirable to make the parts from ordinary ferrous sulphur screw stockand 'to so design them that the parts may be formed onascrew machine and assembled together-to form a finished valve. The novel method herein described is a modification of the method' described in the patent issued to Albert -J. Weatherhead, Jr., #2209309, July 30, 1940. In the method therein described the valve body parts may be made of sulphur screw stock and I after the valve stem is threaded in the valve Y body all parts are brazed together. In that pat ent the valve stem is preferably made of stainless steel'in order that it will be left in a relatively hard condition after the annealing following the brazing operation, and in order that the brazing material will not tend to cling to the threads of the valve stem. I have found that by using a modified method of manufacture I can obtain all the advantages inherent in the Weatherhead structure and, at the same time,

make the valve stem itself of the samematerial. as that of the body parts, thereby producing a. structure more economicalto manufacture. -As= will be understood as the present description of.

a preferred embodiment proceeds, I havesuc; ceeded in making all parts of the same material and simultaneously producing a valve wherein the two seat parts are relatively soft as compared to the valve stem part that engages them. My valve includes a valve body B preferably composed of a ferrous screw stock which canbe turned in a screw machine with a minimum of operations. The body B is longitudinally bored and has an end portion I which includes an enlarged bore 2 to receive the head of the valve stem. A counterbore 3 is formed in the valve body to receive nipple A, which nipple is bored as at t to communicate with the bore in the valve body. A second counterbore 5 is provided in the body to receive a second nipple A1 having through aperture 6 communicating with the bore 2 of the valve body.

Third nipple C is mounted in the bore 2 as will be described'presently. The body B is threaded as at l for engagement by threads 8 formed on valve stem V. The body B has a seat portion'9 for engagement by an enlarged conical seat portion Ill on the valve stem. Similarly, nipple C has a seat portion II for engagement by conical portion l2 of the valve'stem. 'Nipple C is apertured for fluid flow as at [3. It can be seen that with-this construction a fluid passage can be selectively effected between the nipples A and A1 or between nipples A1 and C, the latter being the condition shown in Fig. 1. As mentioned previously, nipple C may likewise be formed of fer: rous screw stock. In manufacturing the assemblage shown in Fig. 1, I first place nipples A and A1 into their respective counterbores, and as indicated in Fig.2, I copper braze the parts together in a-reducing or hydrogen-atmosphere furnace. The valve body B and the nipples may be of free-cutting screw stock such as SAE #1112, which stock is obtainable in round ferrous rod stock suitable for screw machines. This material in stock form has a hardness of about 94-28 on the Rockwell "scale. This material has the hardness characteristic that when it is heated in the brazing furnace to temperatures in the neighborhood of 2000 F., and cooled at a relatively slow rate of about 55 per minute, the hardness of the material is considerably decreased, becoming about 68-3 on the Rockwell scale.

I have found that it is not uncommon for a brazing material to flow into the interior of the valve body and cling to the threads E during-the brazing operation. However, the first operation leaves the bore 2 open forilaterainsertionof the valve stem, which permits one to run a tap through threads 1 thereby removing any particle of brazing material from their: surface.

Since the valve stem V was not inserted during the brazing operation, its hardness remainsat-its original value of about 94-3 on the Rockwell seal mwhieh isl-iabout, 526 poin s h rd r th t vailvelseatsrwith which, the Stemassooiates. lThH-S,

I seor ngof the st mi y the va v s at s lim n ted hes emlishard nou h to smo t e 1 ltaee rregularitie in the relative y so v ve sea rrnaterial to ermazpre u t eh sea zefter..;a semb y;.ef h lstem in th body, the nipple-re: erted n h -bo w see n i imppl c'h scavp t e 2.0 fo insertion i th bore andzm y hav -en en ar e p tio fitticor ride a pre :fit wi hthe be vt o 21 of pn1 s=1Q1a we a th l-ce espe d porten iQ nipp e .AlfiH A :rmav-b -zkn o m sh- .e edto :iacili atefiow of th be d-i e-me el b tweed-th p r s Ad a-por io Cl se te e .rnressed nte.;;th va v .-.-b dv; I bon er gt :eet-h v yi -v olde tin ,ep a en- ,1 Gene template ge s: a s er sold s-wit -mel sein of 1100 to, 1500? Ffidependi eupo the s ne 'fth valv -T temperet remuet h h enough ,;to cause, annealing of the valve. seat but not so :high that heat conductedto the stern will-anneal sit. Thesolderingoperation-is done with a local applicatign of heat which heats nippleC' and its seatportiorr 4 I tc; a. temperature --h igh-enough ltoeause an, annealing of the parts upon cooling. -HOW 8Se!,;th8-heat applied atnipple C isnot great .enough toisoften thabrazing material used.toatta chnipples A and Ai, to the valve body, because he brazed parts-are -r,ela tively gremote Irom;--the lpoint of heat- -application. 'Ihus, when my valve assembly is completed both seats have been; .an- :nealed andare; appreciably softer than, the-valve ;sten .part that; engages them. ,Nevertheless, the relativel y hardyalve stem engaging part-maybe ":made of the same; economical material as that ofiithe rremaindelvof the assemblage. -liowever, :sinee-,=the valve stem ii-ns li ed iter he-b az n -Qperation, and since-a ta-p may beusedto chase ,the threads. before the ,ste m is inserted, there is gnoidane th th b zin -mate ia -will remain @11 th hrea endlea s n erierenee between -the arts.

cont m la e. ha Le n v ue he e uene vof ne; im :de h vw on odifieat en, em y that h n pple en l a. ec reze z the body before all machining operations enbody :lB ar rpe o e -z 'T- eebe -B i Sibe ia ee ede tie ith re. s..-n =;pes l tv e may make the valve stem and nipple C of brass such as SAE 72 free turning brass. This stock has a Brinell hardness of about 80 which is appreciably harder than the annealed ferrous valve seat 9. In silver soldering the brass nipple in place- L prefer to use rone of the lower melting fpoint silver solders to avoid danger of softening or melting the brass nipple. After soldering I air cool the piece which anneals and softens the brassseat I], the stem remaining in its original relatively hard condition. The valve body and -.nipples-A and A1 may be of ferrous stock as be- .-fore.

Although Ihave described preferred forms of ;my. invention. and a modification thereof in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the claims, and not the described embodiments, are determinative of the scope of the n ention- ,gliavingthus described the present invention so that others skilled in the art maybe able to understand and; practice the same,'I state that what J; desire .t se ure by Letters Patent is defined in whetise im i i l/ hat .is claimed is:

'llhegnethcd of making a permanently assembledgdual-seated valve the basic metallic components. of which are ,forrned of substantially the same,readily-rnachineable ferrous stock which stock maybe softened by annealing comprising the steps ofassemblinga first body part witha second body part, said first ,part being formed of -the af oresaid stock and having a first valve .lseat formed therein, brazing said body parts together and annealing them so as to leave said f rst valve seat in a relatively soft conditioninserting into said multi-part valve bodya valve ,s tem.;member formedof the aforesaid stockjand being in anunannealedlor relatively hard condition as compared to, said first valvefseat as sem- ,blinga third valve bodypartwith said multi-part ,body, said third part/being formed of the aforev stoe1 and having a second valve seat formed thereon, candnapplyingheat. locally ,to simultaneously bond said third bodvpart to said multi-part body and to anneal. and'soften said second yalve s eat,.while leaving said valve stem nemb er in a relatively hard, unannealed nondition.

CHARLES ;H. CRAWLEY.

. iEFEBENQE -QITE The following referencesarepf;record in;;the file ofthis patentz :UNFE .TATE PA'IT. T5 Number Name 7 Date *"i-TIF- 81 1,175,034 ,Woodw ard Mar, 14, 19.1.6 1 zaeocez sent, 2 41 15-4 9 Jen- 2 ,92 74 01 Jlm i9l92 441 8-5 2 O t-.2 21 .dl' ifig 1,1, 31 3 l. .a peeei -.-J. lv,-.1 i; 9:i ;2 09,109 Jm 5 ik 9f1 St h time imeze, 11 Larson lia l9;,,1 9,4= Dinnick ;-.June 11,1?46

He re e .J 1.1e.25 19:1

. T ER REFEREN E -:--Product;Enei ieer per ep l llleweee nin. 13-

51112 Lit. 

